The Milky Way to Malu’s heart
While everyone’s eyes are fixed on the priceless works of art being auctioned off today at the Leon Gallery, along with the grand dames who, leading such legendary lives, owned them, I have chosen instead to focus on one lady who plays a significant role in the Asian Cultural Society (ACC) Philippines the noteworthy organization whose artist international scholarship program is being benefited by today’s auction.
Maria Lourdes “Malu” Gamboa Lindo, a member of the board of trustees and treasurer of the ACC Philippines, had been welcoming the press and VIP guests of the organization in the luncheons they had been organizing. Although present, too, were art patrons Dedes Zobel, Dr. Joven Cuanang, Maribel Ongpin, Tessa Prieto Valdes, Rajo Laurel and, of course, Ernest Escaler, who all shared their favorite stories about the artist scholars, it was always Malu who welcomed us and made the rounds of tables to make sure we were enjoying the food. Not unexpectedly, because her family owns the venue, Milky Way Restaurant on A. Arnaiz Avenue in the heart of Makati, on the side of San Lorenzo Village.
Malu’s family, headed by her parents Leonardo “Nards” S. Gamboa and Julieta “Julie” Araullo Gamboa, has owned for the longest time the Milky Way group which includes Azuthai, Cirkulo, Milky Way Cafe and Tsukiji, now all fully operational,
If I may be allowed to promote my go-to place for halo-halo, pancit luglug, crispy catfish, mongo with ampalaya, fresh lumpia, dinuguan and tokwa at baboy, among their other specialties that I love feasting on, I am sure many diners come not just for their delicious food but for the relaxed ambience. I also loved the pre-pandemic sight of our elegant ladies who must gather for their comfort food and exchange of juicy stories. Now that things have become normal with the lowering of the alert level, the Milky Way group is sure to be busy once again. Dine in and take out hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Proust Redux is pleased to share its intimate interview with Malu, a BSBA graduate of Boston University, major in Operations Management. She later finished her MBA at the University of Chcago.
Malu, who allows us more than a glimpse into the pleasures and challenges of managing the enduring Milky Way group of dining places, is our first subject in a series of tributes to lady achievers this Women’s Month of March.
Lola Inding Daily Tribune (DT): How long has your family owned Milky Way? Please share with us its beginnings.
Malu Gamboa Lindo (MGL): Milky Way was started by Mama’s mother, Lola Inding Araullo, and eldest sister, Cora, in the late 1950s in Malate. Mom’s Dad, Lolo Pancho, believed that each of his children should have their own business instead of working for others. He also believed that it was best for each of his children to own their own restaurants to maintain peace in the family. It was in 1962 when Mom left her job as CPA in Carlos J. Valdes Accounting firm to open Milky Way on Aguado Street in old San Miguel.
DT: Has your clan always owned the Milky Way group from day one?
MGL: Milky Way first opened in the early 1950s as a dairy bar in Old San Miguel by Doña Maria Cartagena de Tomas. When Doña Maria migrated to the United States, the Araullo sisters bought the rights of Milky Way and started adding selections of their own like dinuguan, halo-halo, chicken asparagus sandwich, homemade cakes and other Pampango specialties. In the 1970s to the 1990s, Julie Araullo-Gamboa (our Mom) was operating 11 Milky Way branches in fast food centers, one-stop restaurants, office cafeterias and executive dining outlets. The menu then consisted of 350 entrees, 220 soups/salads, 180 desserts and 72 sandwiches.
Some 60 years later, Milky Way is very much alive in Manila’s foodscape serving home-style comfort food with two outlets located at the Rockwell Power Plant and on A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road) in Makati. Milky Way is run by Julie and Nards Gamboa’s children, along with some cooks and staff who have been with the family for many years since they opened their doors in 1962.
DT: Children of entrepreneurs often start early in their training. Tell me about your early exposure to the Milky Way operation.
We watched how my Mom would be flitting from one part of the restaurant to the other, making sure that everything was in its proper place, food pans and glasses were filled, tables and trays were clean.
MGL: I grew up above the commissary of my Mom’s restaurants on San Rafael Street, a block from Milky Way Aguado. I remember the non-stop cooking preparations, baking, wrapping and dispatching in and out of our house from a very early age. Mom also opened “Skylab,” a candy store for us kids right beside the Milky Way in the first Fast Food Centre in Makati. I remember manning the counter from about 12 years of age. We would spend Saturdays in the restaurants whether opening bottles of soft drinks, scooping avocado shakes, ice creams and sherbets or bussing tables.
Like her CPA mother
DT: Were you more interested in management work or kitchen work? How was your training?
MGL: I have always been more interested in the operations and management side like my mother who was a CPA. We were always present in the restaurant for meals, on Saturdays and, sometimes, after school, so it was a very hands-on kind of education. We watched how my Mom would be flitting from one part of the restaurant to the other, making sure that everything was in its proper place, food pans and glasses were filled, tables and trays were clean.
DT: Since you now manage four restaurants, may I assume you were not really into cooking? How would you assess your kitchen skills?
MGL: You are right! I don’t like to cook though I could if I had to. Our eldest sister, Popsie, and youngest brother, J, hold the cooking talents in our family.
DT: How did you develop your management skills in a highly specialized endeavor? What courses/ trainings outside of college did you pursue?
MGL: The only job offer I got upon college graduation from Boston University was for Perseco, the Purchasing and Logistics arm of McDonald’s in Oak Brook in Illinois, which turned out to be the best education I could hope for. What a privilege it was to learn from the biggest restaurant operations in the world. My company sent me to the Stanford Research Institute to work on a forecasting model for the Happy Meal program that has proven to be a huge marketing success for McDonald’s to this day. My company also put me through my MBA in the University of Chicago. They not only paid for half of my tuition, but also allowed me to take days off to make the most of the masteral program. After six years with the company and upon the completion of my MBA, they allowed me to resign so that I could go home and join the family restaurant business.
Chef J
Which of your parents have been more active in mentoring you? What did you learn from them? What were their mentoring styles? MGL:
DT:
My Mom mentored me from Day 1 as we watched her put in countless hours day in and day out in the restaurant business. It was her life, and she loved working. She showed us the joy of working. Dad taught me how to best manage our resources, the importance of avoiding opportunities lost, and the value of time and money. I consider myself so lucky to be exposed to two people who found immense joy in their work.
DT: Tell me about J, how he got interested in cooking and which of his creations are the top hits among diners. Which ones are your favorites?
MGL: J was born into the restaurant business. While growing up, especially during summer holidays, he always helped out in the restaurants by doing various jobs such as serving softdrinks,
cashiering, processing credit cards slips and manning the candy counter. After graduating from Southridge High School in 1988, he attended the University of the Philippines -Diliman then transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he graduated cum laude in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration.
After graduation, he worked at Hospitality Service Group Inc., Boston, MA. His duties included purchasing foods and equipment for 15 independent restaurants. He worked with over 20 restaurant chefs daily in order to procure their ingredients for their respective restaurants. It was while working at Hospitality Services Group where his interest in the culinary arts was piqued. Upon advise from one of the client chefs, he attended the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park NY for culinary studies. He then returned to the Philippines and took a position as Sauce Cook at the New World Hotel in Makati. He worked in the Banquet Kitchen as well as the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Bocarinos.
In 1995, J joined me as we opened El Cirkulo Tapas Bar and Restaurant which was a new concept for Manila. Only after one year of operation, Chef J. Gamboa, together with chef Jay Roces, won the prestigious Bonlac Great Chefs of Asia Competition, besting nine other more experienced local and expat chefs and more established restaurants and hotels.
In 2002, Chef J. Gamboa developed Milky Way Café at the Milky Way Building.
Milky Way Café on A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road) in Makati has Chef J. Gamboa at its helm. Going back to his roots, he has created a dining venue with nostalgic highlights, incorporating details from Milky Way’s long history.
The result is a bright and airy space designed by Arch. Gary Coscolluela. Narra walls, granite counters, molded ceilings, solihiya chairs, black and ivory flooring define the restaurant’s old world charm. Shelves are filled with special home-made products from Milky Way’s line of preserves and native delicacies.
The place is most popular for lunch and family celebrations where regular habitués enjoy the Filipino cuisine as well as an international menu typical of hotel coffee shops without the fivestar prices. They come for the Crispy Catfish with Mustasa and Bagoong Salad, the Apahap with Tomatoes and Cucumber, the Pancit Luglug with Tokwa’t Baboy, Lechon Kawali (from Suckling Pig) and Barbecued Pork Spareribs with Java Rice — not fancy fare but prepared in a way that pleases even the most jaded gourmets.
J’s most popular dishes are Cirkulo’s Slow Roasted US Beef Belly with Horseradish Cream and the Paella Montana with Portobella Mushrooms, whole roasted garlic, and truffle oil. I love his newest Valentine’s menu which has Ostras Gratinadas, baked Japanese oysters with spinach and cream and the Spaghettini Negra with baby squid and salsa verde.
Japanese oysters DT: What are your all-time favorites in the menu and which outlets serve them. Any description that explains why you love them?
MG: My favorites in Milky Way are talbos ng sayote, monggo guisado, pancit luglug and tokwa’t baboy. These are delicious any time of day and always make me think of my Mom. I usually have these for lunch. By 6 p.m., I am usually at Cirkulo enjoying chopitos (baby squid in olive oil and salsa verde), chorizo frito and my newest favorite is the Ostras Gratinadas, Japanese oysters with spinach and cream. I prefer having several kinds of tapas over red wine and graze throughout the evening. These make me think of my Dad as we often enjoyed happy hour together in Cirkulo. My favorites in Azuthai are the mango catfish salad and the phad thai. I can have those for a meal and be perfectly happy. These transport me to the times our family would go to Bangkok to shop for ingredients for the restaurant and of course, enjoy authentic Thai cuisine. At Tsukiji, I usually order the chirashi daimyo sushi for a super dose of Omega 3.
DT: Who else among your siblings are involved in the resto?
MGL: Our eldest sister, Popsie, is in charge of sourcing and packaging. Her efforts were especially important during the pandemic when suddenly the business changed from primarily dine-in to take-out/deliveries. Popsie made sure that all our food was properly presented and packaged for transport to our clients.
Our second sister, Gina, is a lawyer, specializing in labor and immigration. She manages all labor and employee issues as well as makes sure that all are in order for our Japanese and Thai chefs’ status.
(To be continued)